


Three Words

by TheAssassinLover



Series: The Life of Venna Tabris [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst to Fluff, F/M, Fighting, I Love You, Misunderstandings, Slip up, commitment issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-03 16:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8721196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAssassinLover/pseuds/TheAssassinLover
Summary: Venna slips up and confesses her feelings to Zevran. Things do not go over very well.





	

It had been an accident, a mistake. That did not mean, however, that it hadn’t been true. Venna sat curled up in her tent with her face hidden in her knees. Tears came unbidden to her eyes. She knew this would happen from the start, feared it even and still she let herself go on believing she could control her feelings. Even if she couldn’t control them she should have at least been able to keep them to herself.

Three words. Three little words and she managed to destroy one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

She was a fool.

From the beginning, she knew how Zevran’s view on love worked. She knew he saw it as an illusion and not as something he would ever feel. He saw what they had as a benefit. There was supposed to be no strings attached, no feelings. It was a pleasurable convenience and nothing more. Then she had to go off and break that silent agreement.

Venna muffled a choked sob with her legs. She decided it was a curse that she carried, doomed never to be happy.

The night had started off much the same as it always did. The party set up camp, ate dinner and then went about whatever personal tasks they needed to complete. Zevran had barely given Venna an hour before they ended up in her tent. Something had shifted this time; they were tamer, not as eager and wild as they normally were. It hadn’t meant much to her as she pulled Zevran down to kiss her. One of his hands slipped under her shirt as the other tangled in her hair. Her mouth opened to him and he devoured her body and mind. They pulled apart and he moved forward again. The kiss was deeper this time and it made her toes curl. Something inside her burned and her heart fluttered. She whimpered as they broke for air and then…

“I love you.” The words had slipped from her before she could stop them and they both froze as the air around them seemed to shatter. The words shocked her but not as much as the realization that they were true did. Zevran was silent as he pulled away from her and she panicked catching his arm. “Zevran…I didn’t…” Denying it won’t make it untrue her mind mocked her and she trailed off.

“Don’t.” He hissed pulling away from her. “I just…” He shook his head looking away from her. “I need to go.” Venna stared after him as he left her tent. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and a part of her that she didn’t even know existed broke.

Now she sat crying over a man she knew from the beginning would probably break her heart. _I’m such an idiot._ Venna couldn’t stop the tears as her mind wandered back to the Antivan who had somehow stolen such a precious part of her. Eventually, exhaustion took over and she cried herself to sleep.

For the next two days, Zevran refused to hardly look at her, much less have a conversation. The others in their party clearly knew something was wrong, but they knew better than to get involved. Even Alistair kept his questions (and accusations) to himself.

It was a little more than a week later that Zevran finally approached her. “I…would like to speak with you. In private.” He told her hesitantly; seemingly unsure of himself.

“Oh, now you wish to talk. You leave my tent with barely a word, refuse to look at me, and basically ignore my very existence for more than a week and now you want to _talk_. What could you possibly say that your actions haven’t already Zevran?” She snapped. Despite her knowledge of how he felt the events that followed her confession had hurt her. Zevran looked away seemingly ashamed.

“Please, Venna.” His words were barely a whisper and she sighed tiredly.

“Fine.” The two of them moved a short distance away from the camp. “Okay, now what is it you want?”

“I…the last time we were together, when you…I should not have reacted the way I did. I fear I may have caused you unnecessary pain.” Zevran told her quietly not meeting her gaze.

“If you’re saying you should have gone on like it didn’t happen I can’t agree with that. I’m mad, but I’d rather know the truth of where I stand then go on with false hope.” Venna’s words were bitter with the anger and hurt she had carried for the past week. “I knew your views going into this and still I let my emotions get the best of me. It’s my own fault.”

Zevran struggled to find the words for his response. Finally, he sighed defeatedly and muttered, “I did not expect this to happen.”

“What? Didn’t expect that I could be so weak? Didn’t expect me to place so much of my trust in you? Didn’t expect me to cry myself to sleep after realizing that the one good thing in my life you could very well turn out to be my greatest mistake?” Venna’s fists clenched in anger. “I didn’t expect any of this to happen. I didn’t expect to even be able to fall in love after everything I’ve witnessed and I still did. I fell in love with _you!_ Even after everything, even though you tried to _kill me_ when we met.” She laughed humorlessly. “I gave my heart to an assassin that would likely stab it before he was willing to give his in return.”

“I did not expect you to be so blind and foolish.” Venna glared at Zevran as the words left his lips. Her mouth opened to reply but he held up a hand halting her words. “You misunderstand dear warden. I was raised believing that love was an illusion. The whores sold this illusion and I never saw any other way. When I joined the Crows they hardened both my body and mind. To care, to harbor feelings for another being was seen as a sign of weakness, and they did everything in their power to make sure we remembered that. I learned to take my pleasures where they could be found, giving and expecting nothing in return.” Zevran sighed. “Yet from that first night I spent with you, it felt as though something changed. An emotion awoke within me, and that feeling scared me. Your confession served to remind me of my own feelings.”

Venna stared at him speechless for a moment before she hesitantly spoke. “Zevran are…are you saying that you’re in love with me?”

“I…do not know. How do you know such a thing?” Zevran toyed with something in his hand. “Everything I have been taught tells me that what I feel is wrong, and yet I cannot help it. Perhaps I do love you. I at least know I care deeply for you.” Zevran opened his palm to her and in it was a familiar object. “I want you to have it, as a token of affection this time.”

Venna looked at it cautiously. “You know, that sounds an awful lot like a proposal.”

“Not…unless you wish it,” Zevran said quietly shocking her.

Venna gave a small smile before placing her hand over his and covering the earring. “Alright,” She told him softly. “But I may have another task for you now.” Zevran looked at her questioningly. “I’m going to need someone to pierce my ear, and you did such a good job with the tattoos.” She purred as her smile turned into a smirk.

Zevran returned the expression. “I believe that can be arranged.” He used the hand in his to pull her forward. As his lips met hers he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “We should head back to camp.” He said quietly after they broke apart.

Venna pulled her hand back to place the piece of jewelry in a pouch at her waist. “In a bit.” She replied kissing him once more.


End file.
